9781618857958KissMeLikeYouMeanItLeveyNC (17 page)

Stepping
away, Jackson slipped from her welcoming heat. She brushed her legs off and pulled
her dress back in place but not before he got a glimpse of the wetness dripping
down her thighs. Red faced, Carlie stormed past him and headed into the club.
After she left his sight, he followed suit, tossing the condom in the trash by
the entrance. Now she knew how a groupie was fucked. No tenderness, no intimacy
and completely different from how he’d brought her pleasure her first time,
even though he was too angry to give her just a plain hard screw. If she was
smart, she’d never push him to treat her like a stranger again. He felt like
shit but wanted, no needed, her to know the difference.

At
the bar he ordered a double whiskey on the rocks and two beers, a chaser for
him and one for Carlie. The burn as the whiskey traveled down his throat felt
good.

“Christ,
when the fuck did life get so damn difficult?”

“Woman
troubles buddy? They get a man in the balls every time. Can’t live with them or
without them. Just apologize. Even if you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I
haven’t done anything wrong.” He set his glass down. The bartender filled it
back up.

“
Ahh
. You look mighty guilty mate. Apologize anyway. Drink’s
on the house.”

Maybe
the bartender was right. He’d apologize and when the night was over he’d get to
the bottom of his father’s visit with Carlie. If he was honest, he wasn’t ready
for her to go home. They had unsettled business. Leaning against the bar, he
watched the band on stage playing while rolling his neck. They were good but
had a common sound that he’d heard for years. He and the guys wanted a fresh
sound and he’d bet his bank account
Sameera
would deliver.
She sat at the table with his bros talking up a storm. Out of the corner of his
eye, he saw Jimmy walk in. He gave him a nod and waited for him to order a
drink. A few minutes later, they crossed the bar to sit at their reserved table.

Sameera
stood and smiled at him. The next second, the pretty girl clocked Jimmy across
the face with an open palm and began to curse in another language rapidly.
Arabic if he remembered correctly.
Holy fuck
.
The smack down echoed and made all heads snap their direction in response.
Jackson sat the drinks down and stood between them, blocking the little
firestorm from his mate. “Hey, girlie, chill out. This is your night, simmer
down, darlin’. Jimmy, you cool?” His friend sported a wicked bright red hand
print.

“Yeah.
Sam and I go way back. I had that one coming.
S’good
.”

“Good,
I’m going to enjoy my beer.” He took a seat and kept an eye out for his
princess. She headed his way, her clothing in place and her face no longer
flushed. She flashed him a confused look and then steeled her expression. He
watched as the ice queen appeared, only to flicker away as uncertainty took
over once she reached the table. Garrick pulled her to his side and hugged her.
She melted into him and Jackson wanted to draw blood. He visibly saw the
tension leave her body as a smile lit her face at something her brother said.

Now
and then she’d sneak looks his way. After
Sameera
calmed down, she and Jimmy disappeared.

“Wonder
what’s up with that,” she commented and kicked back to nudge Carrie.

“Man,
who the hell knows. I asked her if she was good before calling Garrick. Didn’t
want our boy walking into a surprise reunion.” Jackson reached over Shea to
hand Carlie her beer.

“Thanks.”
Her shy response made him feel like a dick. The bartender was fucking right. He
motioned for her to come over to him. She shook her head no and he frowned.

“Don’t
be like that.”

With
a sigh, she left her brother’s embrace and walked over to him. Arms crossed in
a defensive stance she stared him down. “I don’t want to fight.”

“Good,
neither do I.”

“Oh.”

“I’m
sorry for hurting your feelings. I should’ve kept in control and waited to show
you how much I wanted you instead of…you know.” He didn’t want to broadcast he fucked
her sideways from Sunday outside in plain sight.

“Tension
comes to a head with us at the most inappropriate times. I know your buttons.
So no worries. You didn’t give me anything I didn’t ask for.”

Shea
gave him a weird look. He flipped him the bird. Jimmy and
Sameera
appeared. His bro was not a happy camper while she appeared at ease and happy.

“The
world is a small, small place,” he said to no one in particular.

“What’s
their story?” He forgot Carlie missed the grand
slap
.

“They
have some intense history.
Sameera
was his late
brother Miles’ fiancé. No clue about what brewed between them.”

“Death
is hard. No one handles grief the same way. Do you think something happened
physically between them? That would make sense to me. Could be two broken
hearts and the reason why he’s been a dick ever since Miles’ death to females
in general. Ever wonder why you two were dubbed wing men? I don’t know who’s
had more one night stands, him or you.” She tossed her beer back.

I’d drop them all for you.
He
didn’t speak the words. Instead, he sipped his beer and observed Shea and
Carrie. When Carlie sat on his lap, he sighed in relief and hooked an arm
around her waist. She smelled so good.

Shea
tipped his chair over and whispered in Jackson’s ear. “Bout damn time ya’ll
made up. Garrick can climb off my back now.” Carlie took a swipe at Shea’s
jelled
mohawk
and pretended the sharp spike stabbed
her. Shea kissed her uninjured hand and took a beating from Carrie.

“
Perv
, there is no sister threesome happening or foursome, I
know how you horny rockers are.” Garrick frowned and Carlie busted out
laughing. The sound of her giggle was refreshing, he stared at her smiling face
until Shea kicked his foot.

Jackson
gifted Shea with a
what the hell
eyebrow raise.

“Bro,
you just looked scary domesticated and shit. Never thought I’d see the day.”

Jackson
glared at his friend who was off his rocker. He enjoyed Carlie’s company and
now the use of her body, and yeah he liked her in his home when he showed up, that
didn’t make him domesticated.
Ah fuck
.
It did. He brought his bottle to his mouth and took a sip, half listening to
Carlie talk to her sister and half paying attention to what the others were
discussing. With a break on stage while
Sameera’s
band set up, there wasn’t a need to scream to be heard.

Absently,
he rubbed her back and reveled in how her body relaxed at his touch. She got up
to help
Sameera
and her band set up.

“Jackson.”

“Yeah?
You and my sister back on point now?”
Damn,
big brother is going to be a pain.

“Fuck
if I know. I think so. I’ll talk to her later. I haven’t had a chance to find
out what set her off yet.”

One
of the
Sameera’s
bandmates
stepped
too close to Carlie for his liking. He knew the play, and if he didn’t move
soon, dude had a death wish. She pushed his arm and giggled at something he
whispered in her ear. Whatever he said must’ve been sexual, her face turned
beet red as she stepped away from his personal space. The thought of her with
any other man set his teeth on edge.

“Who
you aiming that ass beating look at?”

“The
tool flirting with her. Did he not see her on my lap?”

“Carlie’s
a good girl, bro. You know this. He’ll find out for himself she’s not one of those
bang and forget chicks.”

“I
know she’s not like them, still don’t like anyone touching her or peeling off
her clothes with their eyes. She is mine.”

Carlie
chose that second to turn her head his way. She quickly dropped her eyes as if
she’d done something wrong. Dude next to her got a clue and put some distance
between them. Then she was heading his way. He punched Shea who was laughing
his ass off. The situation wasn’t funny.

“You
okay?”

“Yeah.”

“No
he’s not, he is green with jealousy,” Carrie interjected and slid onto Shea’s
lap.

“Over
him? Really? That’s insulting. He’s like a boy, barley over eighteen. What the
hell would I do with that after having you?” Carlie leaned down and kissed his
lips.

“Stroke
his ego why don’t you.” Carrie laughed and they settled in to watch
Sameera’s
band, Final Regret perform.

He
found himself swept away by
Sameera’s
seductive rasp.
Jaw dropping seductive. Plus she played a mean guitar lead. Forty minutes later,
after the band rocked out to a handful of their cover songs and some original
ones, they packed their equipment and came over to the table.

“Exceptional.
Girl, you have an awesome voice. The band is good, but ya’ll could be better.
Why don’t we talk about your demo and some studio time?” Garrick grinned.
“Jackson, good catch, bro. Look at you, bringing us solid prospects.”

“Yeah,
thought you’d love her. I’m gonna take care of some personal business.” He took
his beer and left the table. Carrie huddled with Jimmy and Shea. Carlie snagged
his hand, drawing him back to her. He turned her palm up and kissed it. “I’ll
be back, beautiful.” He slipped away, giving him time to check out his home’s
security footage.

Chapter Eight

Ten
minutes later with murder on his mind, Jackson hailed a cab. As he got in and
closed the door, he saw Carlie step outside to find him. “Go,” he instructed
the driver, leaving his band and friends behind to go take care of something he
should’ve done years ago.

His
phone bleeped.

Where
are you going?

To
take care of some business. I’ll be home later, princess. Have Garrick bring
you home.

Oh,
I thought I was going to the hotel with them tonight.

He
called his father before answering her. “Where are you at?”

“The
bar in the hotel. You finally coming to your senses, boy?”

“You
could say that. See you in a few.” He disconnected the phone without letting
his father have the last word. The condescending fuck grated on his last nerve.
Tonight it all ended one way or another.

Hey,
you still there? What’s going on in that gorgeous head of yours?

Nothing,
babe. Just wait for me okay? I don’t want you to leave. I have to go, have fun
with your sister but stay away from that tool in Sam’s band who wants to…well
yeah, you know how musicians roll.

You’re
going to see your father. I’m sorry I told you. Come back. You don’t have to go
confront him, not like this, not drunk.

She
was always too perceptive. If he’d have went inside to say he was leaving she’d
have known and prevented him from going.

If
you hadn’t, we’d be having another massive fight. Thought you were tired of
fighting.

Walk
away. Be a bigger man than he is. I wish you’d listen and come back.

Too
late, princess, I’m here.

He
turned off his phone and tucked it in his back pocket. After peeling off a few
bills and handing them to the driver, he stepped out of the cab and headed into
the only home he’d known for a year after his mother passed. Some things never
changed. Jackson
Laurant
Sr. retained a residence on the
top floor, allowing him to always know what was going on in his local place of
business.

Passing
the valet, he marched straight to the bar. His father sat with an arm around an
escort. The visual made him sick, knowing how much like his father he’d become
with loose women always on the ready. He felt Senior’s disdain to the bone.

His
first tattoo had been about delivering a big fuck you, his second about finding
himself, each design told the story. Yeah, it also sealed the fact that only a
dress shirt would hide his ink. Add in piercings and his father blew a gasket.
He never pretended to want the life his father led, the clean cut boy next door
image wasn’t him. Senior hated him, but that didn’t stop him from demanding his
son live up to the
Laurant
name. In the end the name was
all that mattered.